  life play irelandTM Accessibility & Inclusion in Play & Recreation
Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice Date: Wednesday 3rd December 2008 Venue: City West Hotel, Dublin. Half day seminar Participant Fee: None |
This event is now over. Our events program is part of our ongoing research interest in the play and recreation sector in Ireland to explore, share and to create thought leadership in best practive for the sector.
Please use the form below to register your interest in future events.
Phone: (01) 442 9009
Accessibility and Inclusion in Play and Recreation for Children and Adults
Venue Information & Directions Transport Options Bus: 69 Bus departs Aston Quay LUAS (tram): to the Square in Tallaght and then a short ride on the connecting 311 bus which stops at City West Taxi: from Dublin City Centre - approx €25; From Dublin Airport - Approx €40 |
life play ireland is proud to sponsor Ireland's first event on accessibility and inclusion in play and recreation focused on both children and adults. The half day seminar will take place at City West Hotel on the 3rd December 2008 bringing together international and Irish expertise along with professionals concerned with accessibility and inclusion. There is no fee for attending.
We invite you to learn, debate and discuss the issues of accessibility and inclusion in play and recreation in Ireland. The event will bring together local authorities, architects, planners, buyers and specifiers, researchers, teachers, parents and industry professionals concerned with accessibility and inclusion in play and recreation in Ireland. The event will provide best practice and thought leadership and will encourage the participants to think outside the box.
Ireland has witnessed a dramatic increase in the provision of play and recreation spaces for children and adults in recent years. In many of these, there has been a marked absence of attention to accessibility and inclusion resulting in facilities that fail to fully address the needs of the communities they serve.
Accessibility and inclusion is essential. In planning for play and recreation it is important to ensure that the facilities are available for all and that there is no segregation or differentiation in the experience available irrespective of ability.
For children, play is pervasive in all aspects of their lives. They learn and play as they grow. Play develops and maintains friendships. Play encourages interaction with one another and is a critical factor in developing interpersonal skills. "Play is a child's first claim on the community. No community can infringe that right without doing deep and enduring harm to the minds and bodies of its citizens." (Lloyd George, 1926)
Fitness and recreation facilities for adults is important both from a health and well being perspective as well as social. The provision of such facilities need to be tailored to and be accessible to all adults within the community. This includes accessibility and suitability for the over 50's and younger adults of all abilities (includinig special needs) and backgrounds.
The event will include international perspectives as well as viewpoints and expertise from within Ireland. The format will be round-table to encourage participation from those attending and we will publish a summary of the event and the discussions following the event as a resource tool for the sector.
The aim of the event is to share best practice and stimulate debate on the development and implementation of inclusive and special needs policies to benefit children and adults. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Please use the form below to register for the event.
Event Speakers
Richard Webb, Richard Webb & Associates and Sugradh
Richard is a Chartered landscape architect and children’s play consultant and is well known throughout Ireland. He is a key figure in the Irish play sector both as a consultant and through his role in Súgradh. Richard carries out independent post-installation inspections and risk assessments of new playgrounds and skateboard areas and annual inspections of existing playgrounds and disability access audits through the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). He runs certified training workshops on playground inspection and maintenance and provides advice on developing play policies and child-friendly cities. Richard also designs environmental play areas as ‘Living Playscapes’.
Jerry is the Managing Director of Playworld Systems Europe, the European operation of one of the most influential play equipment companies worldwide. Playworld Systems are internationally renowned for their leadership in inclusion and accessibility. This includes a partnership with Boundless Playgrounds®, a major US-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities create barrier-free playgrounds. Under this partnership, Playworld Systems offers offers 18 barrier-free, certified Boundless Playground designs where all children, with and without disabilities, can develop essential skills for life as they learn together through play.
Di Murray has worked in play and playwork training for over 20 years. She is a partner in Playworks.uk, a training and consultancy organisation. Di has worked to develop and produce a number of playwork training courses which are qualificatory and which contribute to the UK Playwork National Occupational Standards. Di delivers training both in the UK and overseas from entry level through to Higher Education level. Her work is soundly based in the Social Model of Disability and on the right of all children and young people to have access to play opportunities. Her training is interactive, participative and definitely fun!' She is the author of Pick and Mix – Inclusive games and activities for Early Years and Play providers, now in it’s 3rd edition. Her keynote presentations are passionate and thought provoking delivered with humour and anecdotal examples of how disabled children and young people face barriers to inclusion and how ways to overcome those barriers can be achieved.
Jörn Schaefer, Managing Director, Spiel-Bau (Germany)
Jörn is one of the leading authorities on playgrounds and playground design in Germany. He grew up in East Germany before 'escaping' to West Germany during the Cold War. Jörn joined a leading play equipment company in West Germany where he learned the ropes of the trade. WIth the reunification of Germany he returned to Brandenburg to establish his own timber playground equipment company. Today, Spiel-Bau produce the most extensive range of timber-based play equipment in Germany and supplies products worldwide. Spiel-Bau products are manufactured by craftsmen at the company's manufacturing site in Brandenburg close to Berlin. The company is a strong advocate of accessibility in play. Jörn will talk about the challenges of designing accessible play spaces in the German context with insights to engaging with the users and budget holders to ensure that what is built is both suitable and engaging. Jörn believes passionately in meaningful play and a visit to the playgrounds his company installs will attest to the fact that they are built with the user in mind.
Event Panellists
Elizabeth Canavan, The Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Appointed to the Department of Health and Children in 1993, Elizabeth has worked in the areas of personnel, child care, health strategy and the health reform programme. Elizabeth was part of the project team that developed the Health Strategy – Quality and Fairness - A Health System for You and headed the Health Strategy Implementation Team and Health Reform Project Office prior to her assignment to the National Children’s Office in May 2004. Working with the OMCYA since then current projects include, the development of integrated working through children’s services committees, the Prevention and Early Intervention Programme, the OMCYA Forum, National Play and Recreation Policies (including the Youth Café Programme), Adoption Policy and International Affairs relating to Children’s Rights.
Margaret Deevy, Playboard Margaret is the Workforce Development Manager at Playboard. PlayBoard is the lead agency for children and young people's play in Northern Ireland, working to improve the quality of children's lives by increasing their opportunity to play. It is a membership organisation, with affiliates drawn from the voluntary, community, statutory, private and education sectors, as well as individual play workers and students.
Carmel Brennan, IPPA
Carmel works with the IPPA, the largest voluntary organisation working for young children and their families in Ireland. She is a well respected expert in the sector. Carmel has recently completed a PhD thesis bringing a sociocultural perspective on learning to children's sociodramatic play. Her interest is in how children through their play come to participate in shared meaning making. Also how they create opportunities for contributing their voices and feel included and powerful within their communities.
Dil Wickremasinghe, Diversity and Equality Works
Dil is a Social Entrepreneur whose vision is to create an inclusive Ireland. She is currently Managing Director of Diversity and Equality Works which specialises in delivering diversity, equality and disability awareness training to the public and private sector. Through their service she hopes to assist the Irish workplace to embrace diversity and equality thereby enabling each employee irrespective of their age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, religion, marital or family status or membership of the Travelling community to reach their full potential. Dill is a well known voice on Irish airwaves as a presenter for NewsTalk's popular show, Global Village. Dil is a Sri Lankan national, born in Rome. Since moving to Ireland in 2000, Dil has been actively involved in numerous voluntary groups that campaign towards social and racial integration and has made numerous oral and written submissions in the Oireachtas.
Areas of Discussion
Innovative approaches to special needs play
Playgrounds and their impact on children's health, education or play
Enjoyability, usability, accessibility and safety
- Methods and techniques for establishing children's requirements for accessible play
- Effects of accessible play in clildren's lives (i.e. social, participative, fitness, learning...)
- Guidelines for the design of play and recreation spaces for children and adults with special needs
- Design for physical and emotional well-being of children and adults
Provision of accessible outdoor fitness solutions for adults of all abilities and for the over 50's
Schedule
1.30 Registration
2.00 Introductions and Presentations
3.00 Coffee Break & Networking (15 Mins)
3.15 Presentations
4.00 Ten Minute Break
4.10 Panel and Round Table Discussion - single session
5.00 Networking & Drinks
life play ireland Events
This event will set the scene for an on-going series of events facilitated by life play ireland focused on knowledge, best practice and thought leadership around recreation and play.
Next Event: Topic TBA
Date: Feb./March TBA
If you would like to register your interest for future events please complete the form below. Please include details of your area of interest.
Please use this form to register your interest for future events |
| If you attended the event on the 3rd od December 2008 and would like to have a summary of the event please note that we will shortly publish details on this site which will be available for download. |
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Images used with permission from Playworld Systems®, Inc. Copyright © 2008 Playworld Systems®